1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a client computer, server computer, network ranking system, network ranking method, task processing method and recording medium, and more particularly, to a network ranking system, etc. having a plurality of client computers connected to a server computer via a network competing against one another for the result of processing of a task.
2. Description of Related Art
When users of a plurality of client computers interconnected via a network compete against one another for the results of processing of a specific task, the ranking of the users""results of processing of the task is conventionally registered (ranking) in a server computer connected to the network. This ranking is displayed in the homepage, etc. of the server computer in the order of scores obtained from the processing result or time required for the processing, etc. However, ranking can be determined any number of times a day for each client computer user, and therefore users who obtain good processing results by processing a same task many times would achieve higher ranking. For example, in the case where the client computer is a game machine and the task is a computer game, players who have played the same computer game many times can more easily obtain higher scores and complete the computer game in a shorter time, achieving higher ranking all the more.
As described above, since the conventional ranking method allows, for example, each game machine player to play the game many times a day, experienced players can easily achieve high ranking, and therefore experienced players would lose a feeling of tension with regard to the computer game. On the other hand, beginners who play the computer game for the first time mostly obtain only low ranking, and therefore beginners would lose their interest in the computer game.
It is an object of the present invention to solve the above problems and provide a client computer, server computer, network ranking system, network ranking method, task processing method and recording medium allowing even experienced players to continue a feeling of tension and allowing even beginners who play the computer game for the first time to have chances to achieve high ranking.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a network ranking system having a server computer and a plurality of client computers interconnected with the server computer via a network and ranking the processing result of each client computer for a task issued by the server computer, the server computer comprising: task issuing means for issuing a task to each client computer to compete against one another for the processing result a predetermined number of times for a predetermined period; and ranking means for receiving an application for ranking based on the result of processing the task sent from each client computer only once for the predetermined period and registering the application, and the client computer comprising: task requesting means for sending task requesting data including the identifier of the client computer and task issuance request to the server computer; task processing means for processing the tasks issued from the server computer; and processing result sending means for sending the task processing result including the identifier of the client computer and task processing by the task processing means to the server computer.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a client computer connected to a server computer via a network, competing against other client computers for the result of processing a task issued by the server computer, comprising: task requesting means for sending task requesting data including the identifier of the client computer and a request for issuance of a task to a client computer whose processing result is to be competed a predetermined number of times for a predetermined period to the server computer; task processing means for processing the task issued from the server computer; and processing result sending means for sending the task processing result including the identifier of the client computer and task processing by the task processing means to the server computer.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a server computer for controlling a plurality of client computers connected via a network, comprising: task issuing means for issuing a task to each client computer to compete against one another for the processing results a predetermined number of times for a predetermined period; and ranking means for receiving an application for ranking based on the result of processing the tasks sent from each client computer only once for the predetermined period and registering the application.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a network ranking method using a server computer and a plurality of client computers interconnected with the server computer via a network and ranking the processing result of each client computer for a task issued by the server computer comprising: a task requesting step of sending task requesting data including the identifier of the client computer and a task issuance request to the server computer; a task issuing step of issuing a task to each client computer to compete against one another for the processing results a predetermined number of times for a predetermined period; a task processing step of processing the task issued from the server computer; and a processing result sending step of sending the task processing result including the identifier of the client computer and task processing by the task processing step to the server computer; and a ranking step of receiving an application for ranking based on the processing result of the task sent from each client computer only once for the predetermined period and registering the application.
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a task processing method wherein a client computer connected with a server computer via a network competes against other client computers for processing results of a task issued by the server computer, comprising: a task requesting step of sending to the server computer task requesting data including the identifier of the client computer and a request for issuance of task to a client computer whose processing result is to be competed a predetermined number of times for a predetermined period; a task processing step of processing the task issued from the server computer; and a processing result sending step of sending the task processing result including the identifier of the client computer and task processing by the task processing step to the server computer.
According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a recording medium storing a computer-readable program that executes a task processing method, wherein a client computer connected with a server computer via a network competes against other client computers for processing results of a task issued by the server computer, comprising: a task requesting step of sending to the server computer task requesting data including the identifier of the client computer and a request for issuance of task to a client computer whose processing result is to be competed a predetermined number of times for a predetermined period; a task processing step of processing the task issued from the server computer; and a processing result sending step of sending task processing results including the identifiers of the client computer and task processing by the task processing step to the server computer.
The above and other objects, effects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description of the embodiments thereof taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.